Chapter 18: Matching Outfits

Li Ming'en's nerves were utterly shattered by Song Wang. Furious to the point that she skipped dinner, she stormed off, brimming with resentment, to wash the dishes.

Afterward, during a break, she snuck over to the door of Su Nian's room. At her knock, Su Nian opened the door, her expression cool and distant. "What is it?" she asked, her demeanor aloof as if they were barely acquainted.

Li Ming'en felt a flush of embarrassment; she was unaccustomed to the cold shoulder she always received from Su Nian. The indignation from Song Wang's earlier oppression surged up again.

"Su Nian, must you act like this?"

Su Nian: ?

"You think someone like Song Wang, a spoiled rich boy, is someone you can hope to be with?"

"Don't be foolish. He's just toying with you."

Su Nian: ??

"If you're having some sort of episode, Li Ming'en, I suggest you take it elsewhere. Or I can call an ambulance and have you sent to a psychiatric hospital," Su Nian replied. She prided herself on her self-restraint—her former temperament would hardly have tolerated a man like this beyond his first word before she slammed the door in his face.

"I know you're just trying to provoke me, hoping to find a better man to make me regret breaking up with you."

Su Nian: ???

She could barely restrain herself from hitting him; this scoundrel's words were too much.

"I'll admit Song Wang is a bit better than I am, but he's not a man you can handle."

"Seems Mr. Li had a bit too much to eat this morning—" But Li Ming'en's words were cut off by a cold, mocking laugh.

Looking up, he saw Song Wang leaning nonchalantly against the white wall, gazing at him with a half-smile, half-sneer.

"Quite idle, aren't we?" Song Wang drawled, straightening his long legs as he approached Li Ming'en, finishing his sentence only when he stood before him.

Having been caught speaking ill by Song Wang, Li Ming'en couldn't hide his discomfort.

"Think carefully about what I've said. I'm leaving," he muttered, not daring to defy Song Wang's overwhelming presence. Tossing these words to Su Nian, he turned to slink away.

But as he passed Song Wang, a long arm blocked his path.

"Leaving already, Mr. Li? Not staying for a chat?"

"N-no—"

"No?" Song Wang's tone was unhurried, his words drawn out as he slowly repeated what Li Ming'en had just said. "I'd like to hear more—what misunderstandings does Mr. Li have about me? That I'm just playing around? That I'm a man Su Nian can't handle?"

He didn't sound angry, but Li Ming'en's scalp tingled with fear. At the mere lift of Song Wang's hand, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.

Utter humiliation, utter cowardice.

Song Wang raised an eyebrow and took two steps back, his hand, poised in the air, dropped lightly onto Li Ming'en's shoulder, brushing a stray willow fluff from it.

"No need to be so nervous, Mr. Li. It's just a bit of fluff, not a thousand-pound weight."

"Such a grand gesture—I'm not sure I deserve it."

Li Ming'en: ……

He could have sworn Song Wang had been about to hit him a moment ago.

He wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him up. After embarrassing himself with his cooking that morning, now he had knelt before Song Wang for all to see. He had lost every shred of dignity.

"Let me help you up, Mr. Li—" Song Wang offered, but before Li Ming'en could respond, he was hoisted up single-handedly.

Then Song Wang leaned in and murmured quietly into his ear, "If you don't know someone, don't spread rumors or cause trouble. Next time, kneeling will be the least of your worries."

This warning, meant only for the two of them, was delivered before Song Wang abruptly released him. With a smile as if nothing had happened, he said, "Take care, Mr. Li."

Li Ming'en dared not linger a moment longer and fled as if chased by the wind.

[What the hell, I'm dying to know—what did Brother Wang whisper to Li Ming'en?]
[Li Ming'en's fans must be mortified today—Brother Wang put him in his place. Give it up, don't stir up trouble.]
[Alright, I've given up all hope. Song Wang is clearly not a man I could ever have—he truly dotes on his ex.]
[This is the first time I've seen a dating show where the male and female guests make things so obvious from the start. Both Yi Linglin and Song Wang are ruthless. If I were the director of "Heartbeat," I'd probably be crying in the bathroom.]
[Maybe this is the production team's ploy—deliberately giving us two obvious couples, only to flip the script later and keep us guessing.]

While the netizens were still fervently debating, Song Wang had already walked up to Su Nian.

"There'll be a beach volleyball match soon. The showrunners said last night's couples should automatically pair up."

Director: ???

When did I ever say that!

He had explicitly set it up to draw lots for teams!

"Mr. Song, please have some respect—" The director, with a hint of displeasure, tried to remind Song Wang to follow the rules.

But Song Wang merely shot him a meaningful glance, lips barely moving as he mouthed, "Sponsor." The director instantly backed down.

Under Su Nian's suspicious gaze, the director forced a smile and announced, "Yes, the guests who went on dates last night will team up automatically."

With the director's confirmation, Song Wang turned to Su Nian with a smile. "See? I was right."

Since even the director had spoken, Su Nian had no objection. As long as she wasn't paired with Li Ming'en, she would have teamed up with a dog if need be.

Song Wang had no idea that, in Su Nian's mind, he was already on par with a stray.

Half an hour later, the guests gathered outside the cottage, where a makeshift volleyball court had been set up for the match.

The female guests were all dressed in trendy sportswear that accentuated their figures, while the men also took the opportunity to show off their physiques.

Su Nian’s outfit was simple and understated, but next to the others—who looked ready for a fashion show—she seemed almost indifferent.

[Here we go again—Su Nian's disastrous sense of style. Did she forget she's on a dating show? Why does she always dress so… unspeakably?]
[Are you kidding me? I'm here for beautiful people, not the local market auntie. Su Nian's wrapped up so tight, is she planning to join a convent?]
[That's too much. Everyone has the right to dress as they please. If she's happy, how does it bother you?]
[If you can't take the heat, don't be a celebrity. That's what being a star is—getting judged.]
[Move aside, quarrelers—Brother Wang is about to appear. Don't block my view of his glory.]

When Song Wang appeared, the camera gave him the royal treatment befitting the show's sponsor—a sweeping, 360-degree shot, as if filming a high-end commercial, from head to toe.

But just as the fans were gushing over his handsomeness, they were shocked to discover that Song Wang was wearing the same color and style as Su Nian—a decidedly wholesome set of sportswear.

The romantic fantasies of the admirers were instantly shattered.

[Wait, that's not how Brother Wang usually dresses. From fashion icon to ascetic monk—he's definitely fallen into his ex's trap.]
[Stop blaming his ex for everything. She's getting hit just lying down.]
[Maybe Song Wang's not as fit as we thought—he’s afraid to show off and get roasted.]
[I have a theory: what if Song Wang is deliberately wearing matching outfits with his ex?]

This speculation was soon drowned in a flurry of bickering online.

But it wasn’t just the netizens—even Xia Xingkong noticed.

"Song Wang, Su Nian, you two look so… proper, almost like a pair of wholesome husband and wife. Same color scheme—are you secretly wearing couple’s outfits or what?"